Killer Cocktails: Drug mixes threaten aquatic ecosystems

Combinations of drugs that have been detected in trace amounts in waterways from Nevada to Switzerland could deform and kill native microscopic organisms, a new study finds.

Since the 1970s, scientists have discovered more and more rivers, lakes, and streams tainted with tiny amounts of common pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics, antidepressants, hormones, chemotherapy drugs, cholesterol-lowering medications, and over-the-counter pain killers such as ibuprofen (SN: 3/21/98,

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